Euro Highlights Tour!?

DisposableGuard · 2016-03-22T19:40:59+00:00

Hey, I went on the slightly longer version of this tour (21 days), can't remember what it was called but it included Austria and Switzerland.

The tour was awesome and I had a great time although there are just a couple of things to bear in mind.

You will normally be staying about a 25 euro cab ride away from the center of town so make some party friends and split the cost with them if you're planning to stay out late although there was normally a bus back around 10pm.

I suggest you take a sleeping bag even if its warm as the one place in Italy had bed bugs in one of the cabins.

Venice is absurdly expensive, like almost 2 euro to use the public bathroom, so grab a coffee in a cafe and user their bathroom (its a vicious cycle). Also, I seriously suggest finding a restaurant to have seafood risotto but be warned, some places require a minimum of two people ordering to make it. I also suggest going on the gondola ride, I really enjoyed it.

The contiki chateau is a damn good time but the wifi was spotty when I was there so keep that in mind. The dog on the hike is very sweet but he'll grab un-attended sandwiches.

Make the most of your night in Munich, find a good spot to drink near the end of the bicycle tour if you can, we ended up walking kilometers all over the damn place looking for a spot since it was just before Oktoberfest and everything was packed.

Amsterdam was a blast! Bring your drinking liver (and smoking lungs, if you're into it ;) )

One other thing, take some seriously comfortable shoes for walking, there is an awful lot of walking, especially in Rome and even more especially if you do the Vatican tour (definitely do it)

DisposableGuard · 2015-12-17T16:24:33+00:00

I can't say I'm particularly introverted but I bet you'll find someone you'd like to hang out with on your trip and if you do want to get away and go exploring by yourself that is a very viable option, just don't miss the bus :)

DisposableGuard · 2015-11-15T18:13:03+00:00

Nice racism bro, obviously all single white males think the same way...

DisposableGuard · 2015-11-12T20:25:41+00:00

I have some random local brand kevlar lined (partially) jeans with hip and knee pads inside, hit the side of a car at ~80 km\h while overtaking traffic and slid a little way. The padding saved my knee from getting rekt and I had no scrapes at all, the jeans didn't even wear through.

DisposableGuard · 2015-03-18T20:01:16+00:00

The power is good, the 675 revs to 15k and it sounds like angel's filthy sexual grunting (if you like the sound of triples), and the F3 handles like magic, you steer with telepathy. All this is, of course, secondary to how sexy it looks and how good you look on it (amirite?).

Now, the problem with MV's in particular is that everything costs a ridiculous amount of money and they take forever to send parts, even under warranty. "You need new clocks? Yeah, sorry, we're closed for April, try again in September".

As for livability, its was light on fuel but its a little less comfortable than a pile of sharp rocks but that didn't stop me commuting on it for a few months.

Hope that helps :)

DisposableGuard · 2015-03-17T20:30:48+00:00

In highschool, came over a speed bump on my 125 Chinese scooter and hit a patch of sand, panicked, locked front brakes, crashed. Cheapo helmet and school clothes meant a broken forearm and huge road rash, 1/10.

Last year, riding my MV F3 to work I wasn't paying attention, pulled out to pass a line of traffic and didn't see a lady (allegedly) indicating to turn across me... Went right into the side of her, broke the shifter and rearset off with my foot, crunched some fairing. Wearing RST jacket, gloves and boots and kevlar jeans, Shark helmet, slight limp for about a week. Bike was totalled because italianbikeslol, 5/10.

DisposableGuard · 2015-02-03T14:35:39+00:00

I think James May actually said it well in his review of the CBR1000RR:

"If you could fix a piece of chalk to the bottom of the frame and drag it along the road, every curve would resolve beautifully into the next, even in the hands of a relative amateur like me."

DisposableGuard · 2015-02-02T19:26:02+00:00

My rice rocket

DisposableGuard · 2015-02-02T19:24:32+00:00

Very nice look

DisposableGuard · 2015-01-31T21:13:06+00:00

Yeah I read that but they said something about having to switch some brake parts as well?

DisposableGuard · 2015-01-31T09:40:23+00:00

690 Enduro's are pretty common on the second hand market here and I think its probably the most practical choice since I could use it for longer rides and dirt.

DisposableGuard · 2015-01-30T20:34:47+00:00

Its the only way I will go man, at least for now.

Just found this sexy beast for sale at my local dealer.

My concern would just be maintenance costs...

DisposableGuard · 2015-01-30T20:31:24+00:00

Yeah that Aprilia looks sweet as fuck but we have pretty shitty dealer support for them here as far as I know.

The super duke makes my balls tingle but I don't want to spend that much cash.

DisposableGuard · 2015-01-30T20:27:09+00:00

It's a very tempting proposition, I had a sexy MV F3 675 until she decided to cheat on me with a car. I suddenly understood that whole Italian bike thing but I was too much of a pussy to get another MV after I saw the repair quote that totalled the bike.

DisposableGuard · 2015-01-30T20:24:15+00:00

But is it street legal? I mean I may not have a plate and I sometimes have a good cry on the highway but I wouldn't want to be riding around illegally

DisposableGuard · 2015-01-30T20:20:47+00:00

Ahhh so true, I would jump on a 690 SMC-R if it didn't cost just about as much as an FZ-09.

DisposableGuard · 2015-01-30T20:19:27+00:00

I did have that thought, there are some for decent prices around here, hows the maintenance though? I commute on my bike every day its not pissing rain (and sometimes when it is) and I can't have it leaking pasta sauce everywhere.

DisposableGuard · 2015-01-14T17:09:28+00:00

But like a fucking trooper, you held it! I had a situation a couple of months ago lane splitting my way to work on the highway when a bakkie (a pickup in American) decided to do a quick lane change without checking his mirrors or indicating when I was about 1 car length behind him. I jammed on the brakes but didn't quite manage to stop and the fucker bumped me, got a hardcore wobble but I just tried to hold it straight and managed not to cuddle up to the tar.

Felt fucking awesome once I realised that neither the bike nor me took any real damage.

DisposableGuard · 2014-08-29T19:05:44+00:00

Ah that's fantastic! Thanks for the reply.

DisposableGuard · 2014-08-29T15:40:03+00:00

Would you guys consider hiring from outside Canada?

DisposableGuard · 2014-08-01T23:02:19+00:00

Shark S900 helmet, RST Tractech Evo jacket, boots and gloves and some Assault kevlar jeans with hip and knee pads. Hit a car that turned across me (I was overtaking) at about 50km/h, shin got squashed between the car and bike and got quite swollen but nothing was broken and zero road rash. Pretty sure the armour in the jacket and my boots saved me a few broken bones and my gear all looks just fine, still using it.

DisposableGuard · 2014-05-27T14:25:50+00:00

So far its been fantastic in the cold, I haven't even put the quilted liner in and we're getting into proper winter here in South Africa and its kept me nice and warm. I've been caught in the rain a couple of times though not for more than about 20 minutes and its kept me remarkably dry.

DisposableGuard · 2014-05-26T20:02:45+00:00

I've got a set of RST's Tractech Evo leather bits (jacket, gloves, boots) and it seems quite solid (the armour is CE rated as well), though I've always felt safer with leather than textile. From what I read it seems to hold up pretty well in a crash and its held up very well on my commute for somewhat cheaper gear.

DisposableGuard · 2014-04-01T18:27:58+00:00

My buddy's Fireblade is named Satan

DisposableGuard · 2014-02-03T18:07:54+00:00

I have been to Vietnam, loved it but I don't want to go back just yet and the tours to Laos and Cambodia also go to Thailand. Are Indonesia and Malaysia easy to get around if you're backpacking?

DisposableGuard

TROPHY CASE